Strength
by XxFlowerAngelxX
Summary: Weak. That is most likely my biggest attribute right this moment. So what am I gonna do about it? Moping won’t get me anywhere. I stood up, and for the first time in my life, I decided to take some action.
1. Chapter 1

**Strength**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Chapter 1: Prologue

I sat on the edge of my roof, feeling the light breeze cut through my newly acquired short locks. I sighed, looking up at the night sky. There was no visible moon tonight, so the sky was as dark as it's ever been. I gazed at the millions of tiny little stars, mesmerized by their beauty.

My mind wandered to what had happened recently. Just yesterday, I was in the forest of death, fighting for my dear life. I remembered everything…the screams, the battles, how everyone seemed to be ten times stronger than me. Even shy little Hinata had managed to put up a good fight with her chakra abilities. Even she displayed her techniques and bloodline limit.

But _me_. What did I do? Throw a couple punches, taunted Ino, and told everyone how much I _loved_ Sasuke-kun.

Pathetic.

I sighed. What is love anyways? I've been chasing after the guy for so long, yet I don't even know the meaning of the most important word in a relationship. _Love_…Do I truly _love_ Sasuke-kun? Or is this merely a childish crush?

I looked down at my hands. They were soft, like a child's. I imagine that a real shinobi's hand would be full of scratches and bruises, proof of their training. Not soft and flawless like mine.

What am I doing here? I am in one of the best shinobi villages in the world, yet all I do is worry about my hair. How could I let myself fall this far?! I clenched my fists in frustration. I specifically remember my dream on the first day I entered the ninja academy was to become the best kunoichi in the world. What happened to that dream?!

I smiled sadly. No…I know exactly what happened. I started to get teased and my self-esteem was brought down. Soon, running away from bullies became a number one priority. Then…I met Ino. Ino, who I looked up to. Ino, who shinned in class and was kind to me. After that, I guess some of her girly attributes started rubbing off on me. I became more confident. I started paying more attention to my looks, like wearing dresses and making sure my hair was neat. Suddenly, I became focused in my social life. I wanted to be like Ino, popular, pretty, friends with everybody.

Falling for Sasuke-kun was soon to come after as well. He was the most popular boy in our class, so naturally I, along with many others, adored him. Then as I grew older, I started dedicating more and more of my life to him: reading fashion magazines, spending my allowance money of beauty products, and let's not forget dieting as well. The academy work was easy, so I didn't have to take my grades seriously in order to pass.

But now…I see the truth in my actions. Now that I've experienced the outside world, I saw what I must seem like to other ninjas out there.

_Weak_.

That is most likely my biggest attribute right this moment…

…So what am I gonna do about it? Moping won't get me anywhere.

I stood up…and for the first time in my life…I decided to take some action.

It's time to show the world who Haruno Sakura _really _is.

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AN: Okay…I know the first chapter's short, but it _is_ a prologue. I promise that future chapters will be _much_ longer. Anyways…..**REVIEW!!!!!!!!!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Strength**

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

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Chapter 2: Changes

I woke up feeling renewed and with more energy I've had in ages. I literally bounced out of my bed in excitement.

First thing's first: Wardrobe.

I fingered my usual red kimono styled dress. I had bought it because it was tight on my skin, and I had thought that it would make my curves look larger. I was never a big fashion expert, so I don't know if my logic worked or not. However, the kunoichi part of my mind rejected the flimsy material, and the long skirt that limited my movement. I dug through my closet looking for anything else I might have had. It turned out, that in the very back of my closet, I actually had some suitable clothes. I looked at the plain looking tops and bottoms. The material seemed sturdy, and the style wasn't bad. I shrugged, picking out the top that I liked the most: a white, sleeveless, typical blouse. I was a little frilly at the collar, but nothing major. I wore it with a black, mid-thigh skirt, and gray knee length shorts underneath. I observed my image in the mirror and like what I saw. I actually looked _better_ in these clothes than my previous ones.

Although my chakra control was good, I needed to work on my stamina if I was planning on mastering any complex jutsus. I decided to go out for a jog. So after I ate a full breakfast (diet plans thrown out the window) I pulled on my shoes and headed out. I circled one of the rarely used training grounds near my house at a fast pace, not stopping even when my muscles screamed in pain. However, despite the difficulties, I loved it. Running allowed me to calm my mind, to think, and most importantly, to plan. What was going to be my next move?

Tou-san had been a successful jounin in his days until he injured his back, thus ending his ninja career. But I'm sure that he still knew some jutsus that he could teach me. I could start there. What else? Kakashi-sensei had mentioned that I was a genjutsu type. My thoughts immediately wandered to Kurenai-sesei. But she has her own team to take care of. It would be unfair for me to bother her. Kakashi-sensei probably knows some with his Sharingan, but he's probably busy with preparing Sasuke-kun and Naruto for their final matches.

Maybe I should just take one step at a time. I'll work on my taijutsu and stamina on my own, and I'll ask tou-san to teach me a few ninjutsu. When the final matches are done, I'll go from there.

When I was done with my run, I was utterly exhausted. I had been running for almost two hours. I headed back home jogging slowly.

--

Tou-san seemed surprised, but genuinely pleased when I asked him to train me. He had always pushed me a bit towards my studies back during my academy days, and seemed a bit disappointed to see that his only daughter care more about her looks than her jutsu.

It was natural that my own tou-san would go easy on me, but it drove me nuts. I had to constantly encourage him to push me harder, convincing him that this was nothing. He was a good teacher though, and I could see the pride in is eyes when I did something right.

We first found out what my chakra nature was. Water. This made things easier since it was the same as Tou-sans. First, I had to know how to _move_ the water. We practiced by a small, nearby lake. It was hard, and it took me a while to move even a couple drops. But by the end of our training session, I had made good progress. Tou-san thinks that I should be able to start learning my first water type jutsu in about a week.

As I trained, I felt like I finally understood how Naruto must feel most of the time. I supposed that learning all the techniques he knows didn't come easy. I could feel the frustration he probably felt when I couldn't get something right. I could feel the fatigue. But most importantly, I finally understood why Naruto never gave up. Each time I tried the exercise I was doing, I could always think in my head 'I'll get it right the next time.' Because there will always be a 'next time' if you don't give up. But if you do, then it's all over.

We finished at noon. I was glad to go home to the warm meal waiting on the table cooked by Kaa-san. When we entered the door, I noticed for the first time how Tou-san would stare longingly at the long katana hung at the end of the hallway. It was a beautiful katana. I had seen it before. The entire sword, both the blade and the hilt, was pure white. It was straight, very long, and narrow. I could almost picture Tou-san fighting with it, as if he was engaged in a dance.

And that was when I decided that some day, I would hold that katana.

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Sasuke-kun was still in the hospital, recovering from the preliminaries. I decided to go visit him…as a _teammate_. I thought that flowers were appropriate, as long as they weren't roses of course. I headed over to the Yamanaka Flower Shop after lunch taking a deep breath before going in, knowing that Ino would be there.

I walked into the shop quietly. I glanced at Ino, who was at the counter. She glared at me.

"What are _you_ doing her, billboard brow?" She sneered. I was surprised by the unpleasant malice in her voice.

"Buying flowers…isn't it obvious?" I stated, observing the different types they had.

I knew she was glaring at me without even looking at her. My eyes skipped over the orchids, daisies, lilies, and tulips, all flowers that I adored, but I had a feeling that Sasuke-kun wouldn't like them. I acted oblivious to Ino's constant glare. I was trying to decide between jasmines, freesias, or carnations, when my eyes landed on some small forget-me-nots. I smiled. Perfect.

I carefully picked a couple and walked over to the counter. I locked eyes with Ino, making sure not to back down from her stare. There was no way I'd show weakness, _especially _in front of her. I handed the flowers towards her, waiting. She finally took them and wrapped them in clear plastic.

"Who are these for, Sasuke-kun?" She asked smugly.

"…Yes, how did you know?" I asked casually, already knowing the answer.

She stuck her nose in the air. "Who else would you be buying flowers for. But if you're using this as a way to try to get closer to him, I'm telling you right now, it's not going to work." She answered confidently.

I held my temper, not wanting to act childish in front of Ino." I am going as a loyal teammate who wishes nothing more than to visit my friend in the hospital." I stated, reaching into my wallet for some money.

"Oh…so now you're playing hard to get? Like that's gonna work. Sasuke-kun doesn't have that bad of taste. And what's with the new look? Trying to change your image to impress Sasuke-kun?"

I placed some bills of the counter and took the flowers. "Unlike you, I'm gonna take being a kunoichi seriously now. These clothes are more suitable for training. I suggest you do the same." I stated, walking out. I suppressed a giggle at her angry expression. That was much better than are usual fights, which consisted of the two of us yelling "Ino-pig" and "Billboard brow" at eachother non-stop.

When I arrived at the hospital, I had asked a kind nurse for Sasuk-kun's room number. When I got there, he was asleep with an oxygen mask on his face. I frowned. What happened? I thought that he was just fatigued after his match. I placed the flowers in the vase next to the window.

I watched him sleep, trying, and unsuccessful, to understand the boy in front of me. What did I _really_ about him? His whole family other than his brother died. Everyone knows that. But why? I frowned in concentration. It didn't make any sense. His brother, Uchiha Itachi, was a prodigy. He was kind, handsome, strong, and came from a respectable family. So _why_ would he kill everyone-no…not _everyone_. I looked back at Sasuke. He kept his little brother alive. For what purpose? What could he gain from it?

And I finally realized something. There was more to this story than just a crazy shinobi who went on a rampage. There was something hidden. A single element that I, and the rest of the village for that matter, didn't know about. It was the last piece to the puzzle.

After one last look at Sasuke-kun, I exited the room.

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End file.
